NAD: Excedrin's Claim Of 15-Minute Headache Relief Is Hooey

The National Advertising Division says that Extra-Strength Excedrin's claim about headache relief within 15 minutes has no merit, and it is asking the brand to "modify or discontinue" the assertion. The ruling was prompted by a complaint from Wyeth, a rival of Excedrin parent company Novartis, which claimed that a study Novartis submitted to back up the claim was flawed, Todd Wasserman reports.

Looking at Novartis' study, the NAD found that the "statistically significant" number of respondents who reported feeling better 15 minutes after taking Extra-Strength Excedrin was "very small."

Julie Masow, director of communications for Novartis Consumer Health, says the one ad cited in the complaint has been off the air since October and there are no plans to bring it back. "We respectfully disagree with the NAD's decision regarding how consumers interpret" the claim of 15-minute relief, a statement says; Novartis plans to appeal the decision.